1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus, and a method of applying color media to any paintable surface, particularly walls, to create multiple decorative painted effects in an unprecedented fast and easy manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Faux finish is an art form of illusion achieved through an act of painting or a particular form of decorative painting. Traditional faux finishes are accomplished utilizing highly skilled and artistic decorative techniques. These techniques were designed to replicate many natural surfaces, such as granite, marble, aged European stucco, and suede. Typically, such known techniques have been used to decorate interior surfaces that would otherwise be impossible to manufacture or install with natural materials because of the shape of the surface or the extreme expense. Today, the faux finish process is used because it overcomes these problems and also permits utilizing colors which harmonize with other interior elements.
In the past, faux finish techniques required specialized paints, solvents, coloring agents, brushes, sponges, and other specialized elements. In addition, the finish was applied in a multi-step process involving several layers which required highly skilled craftsmen, typically requiring several days.
The traditional faux finish methods allow the artisan to work with several layers of thinned, translucent paints, called glazes, applied on top of an opaque base coat. Every color represents a separate layer which applied on top of the previously dried layers, making this a painstakingly complex and difficult process. A desirable factor to these techniques is the speed of application. If the artisan does not move fast enough or is delayed in the process, the work will be destroyed unavoidably due to the glazes drying before the work is finished.
Applying color media onto a surface in a two color pattern intended to resemble a marbleized finish has been taught in Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,975. Obtaining a painted finish on an exposed surface such as a wall or ceiling is taught by that document. The approach of Jones has a number of disadvantages including a limited number of options to create different effects, it requires a base coat, incorporates a limiting two colors that requires an applicator tool for each color used, it requires another tool and step to "fill-in" areas, requires a step of stamping the applicators together, and it incorporates another step of going over dry painted surface to reblend irregularly painted areas that result in many time consuming steps.